Beginner Exercise 199 / Solution

Solution  

The solution is the attachment at which prevents Black from making two eyes here. It makes snapback at a and cutting play at b miai.

Best Black play  

The best Black play is to save the remainder of the Black group with , allowing to capture two Black stones for an eye. Note that White has an eye in the corner at a.

Black resistance  

If refuses to give up the two stones, then and cuts. It is four liberties to two, so White wins this capturing race.

More Black resistance  

here is a more interesting resistance. But after atari, a and b are still miai.

Reference  

It is possible for White to save the corner group by playing first at , but will simply make two eyes and allow to connect outside. However, White did not get to capture anything. (If is played at , then at reverts back to the solution.)

Failure  

The atari at here is a mistake. After connecting at , if White cuts the group with and , then lives with two eyes.